News Scan

Man Attempts to Evade Police on His Tractor After Murdering His Mother: A 29-year-old Southern California man was shot and killed by police after he killed his mother, set her home on fire, and then shot at people in his neighborhood while fleeing the scene on a tractor. The Associated Press reports that authorities were called by Ryan Carnan's brother, alerting them that Carnan called to inform him that he had just shot and killed their mother. Carnan had no prior arrest record, but had been contacted by police before for mental-health related issues.

8-Year-Old Boy Shoots and Kills Elderly Caregiver: Authorities in Louisiana believe an 8-year-old boy intentionally shot and killed his 87-year-old caregiver after playing a violent video game. Lauren Russell of CNN reports that the victim, Marie Smothers, was shot in the back of the head while watching television in her living room Sunday night. The boy won't face any charges due to a Louisiana law that prohibits children younger than age 10 from being held criminally responsible.

Florida Man Beats Young Girl in Public Restroom Stall: A Florida man was arrested after allegedly luring and attacking a 9-year-old girl in a Best Buy restroom in what authorities believe to be a random attack. USA Today reports that 29-year-old James Tadros lured the girl away from her mother and into a restroom stall where he allegedly assaulted her repeatedly before putting a plastic bag over her head and sticking her head inside a toilet. Tadros has been charged with attempted murder, false imprisonment, and criminal mischief.

Little Interest in Those Murdered by Illegal Immigrants: A Texas mother is seeking to gain attention on the American victims of illegal immigrants by telling the traumatic story of her son's murder in 2010. Tony Lee of breitbart.com reports that Laura Wilkerson's 18-year-old son was beaten and strangled to death then doused with gasoline and lit on fire after offering a ride to an illegal immigrant. The man, who would have been eligible for citizenship under the DREAM Act, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder earlier this year. Maria Espizona, director of the Remembrance Project that honors Americans killed by illegal immigrants, believes that crimes such as this one would be 100% preventable if our country's immigration laws were strictly enforced.